Assassin’s Creed Origins
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate didn’t really do it for me, mainly because I got stuck in a mission that I couldn’t complete or back out of without having to revert to a game save that would take me back to nearly the beginning of the game. It was a frustrating moment that broke the game for me, as was the first Assassin’s Creed that I have given up due to frustration. The fact that it was set in Victorian era London however filled me with anticipation of where the series would go next. I’ve always wanted to the the Assassin’s working in Nazi occupied Europe.
So you can imagine my massive disappointment when Assassin’s Creed Origins was announced. An origin game set in ancient Egypt. You just cant get further from my Nazi filled dreams than a game set in 49 – 43 B.C.
But hey, it’s still an Assassin’s Creed game so I’m still gonna take it for a spin.
Assassin’s Creed is now a fully fledged RPG set in a massive open world. To call it impressive would be a massive understatement.
Thrown into a life or death battle from the moment you gain control of the new protagonist, Bayek, you begin a rather linear journey to the open world. Everything feels similar but is different. The combat has been overhauled as has the mission structure. No longer can you just follow the main storyline, you have to do side quests or explore so that you can level up your character, else you’ll find yourself hopelessly ill prepared to take on your adversaries.
You just can’t take a level 10 character into a level 15 mission. You’ll get your arse whipped time and time again.
But don’t worry, the side missions are a blast, as much so as the main story. They just add to the depth of play, and bring the massive world to life.
All the familiar stuff is their, climbing towers to further unlock an area, exploring for clues, eradicating outposts and general mayhem are all there to keep your entertained.
And this is what Assassin’s Creed Origin does best – it entertains. I never wanted to put the game down and would still be happily paying it if it wasn’t the silly season and I wasn’t overloaded with games to review. It’s a game that I’m certainly going to re-visit in the new year.
Visually it’s stunning, and every area has it’s unique look and flavour. What’s more every part of every area seems unique. You never get the feeling that any of the map has been cut and pasted to save time. Exploring is a pastime that you will loose hours of your life to without realising it. And if you’re even the slightest bit visually creative, you’ll loose hours just taking photos.
With Origins, UbiSoft have reclaimed the magic of Assassin’s Creed, and have delivered a visually stunning masterpiece that is full on fun to play. And dare I say it, origins is the best game in the series.
Now sure, it’s not flawless. The crowded nature of street life means that you’ll going to see people do weird shit, or get in your way from time to time, but this is really nothing more than a minor distraction from an otherwise immersive entertaining experience.
Rating: R13 Strong violence & offensive language.
GAMEGUIDE rating:
